“Your Highness?” Qing Mulan was stunned. “Which Highness?”
“The Ninth Princess, Your Highness.”
A-Mei replied.
“Wuyang is coming?” Qing Mulan’s expression changed abruptly. She grabbed A-Mei’s arm and asked, “Where is she now?”
“According to the letter, she passed Fengxiang Prefecture yesterday. By now she should have reached the Jialing River ferry.”
A-Mei said, “Her Highness the Princess says she wants to visit West River Bay to see you, Miss.”
After speaking, she could not help glancing up at Jin Feng.
She was, after all, only a maid. If Qing Mulan accepted punishment, there was nothing she could do about it.
Yet the Ninth Princess had chosen this exact moment to arrive.
A-Mei did not believe Jin Feng would dare punish Qing Mulan in front of the Ninth Princess.
Once the Ninth Princess left, Qing Mulan would certainly see her off, and then she could simply return directly to the Western Sichuan Governor’s Mansion.
Jin Feng could hardly chase her all the way to Western Sichuan to administer military punishment, could he?
“What? She’s already at the Jialing River?”
Qing Mulan grew anxious.
From the Jialing River, travelling downstream by boat, if they hurried, they could reach Jinchuan in a single day.
Even if the boatmen proceeded cautiously for the Ninth Princess’s safety, two days at most would be enough.
At this thought, Qing Mulan hurriedly ran towards Jin Feng.
“Sir, I’m afraid I cannot return to West River Bay with you today. Wuyang is coming. I must go to the ferry to meet her.”
“Wuyang?”
Jin Feng looked puzzled.
In his previous life he had heard of a place called Wuyang, but from the way Qing Mulan spoke, Wuyang appeared to be a person.
“Wuyang is the daughter of His Majesty and my aunt, Consort Qing. Her fief is Wuyang County in Yuzhou, and her title is Princess Wuyang.”
Qing Mulan explained.
“The Ninth Princess? I remember she is not yet betrothed. How can she leave the capital?”
Luo Lan had mentioned the Ninth Princess many times in her letters. He knew the princess was Qing Mulan’s cousin and had given much support to the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce’s business in the capital, though she had never mentioned the princess’s title.
Hearing Jin Feng ask this, Qing Mulan let out a long sigh. “She is coming to Jinchuan precisely because of a betrothal.”
“A betrothal?” Jin Feng blurted out. “Is she going to Tubo?”
“How did you know, sir?” Qing Mulan asked in surprise.
“It’s as plain as the lice on a monk’s head, perfectly obvious.”
Jin Feng said, “You told me the Ninth Princess is coming to Jinchuan for a marriage. In Jinchuan, indeed in the whole of Western Sichuan, apart from your brother, whose status could possibly match the Ninth Princess?
Your brother is already married, and the Emperor would never marry the Ninth Princess to him. That leaves only one possibility. The Ninth Princess is going to Tubo for a diplomatic marriage, which is why she is passing through Jinchuan.”
“Sir, you truly are amazing!”
Qing Mulan exclaimed with genuine admiration.
She herself had only learnt of the matter a short while ago from the Ninth Princess’s letter, yet Jin Feng had deduced everything from a single sentence.
“Sir, once Wuyang goes to Tubo, I probably will never see her again in this lifetime. She sent me another letter, so I must go to meet her.”
Qing Mulan asked, “Sir, after I have attended to Wuyang’s affairs, may I return to receive punishment then?”
“Well…” Jin Feng considered for a moment, then nodded slightly. “Very well. When will the Ninth Princess reach Jinchuan?”
“If all goes smoothly, tomorrow or the day after, she should arrive at the Jinchuan ferry.”
Qing Mulan said, “Oh yes, sir, Wuyang also wrote in her letter that she wishes to visit West River Bay as a guest.”
“West River Bay is only a small mountain village. What would she want there?” Jin Feng asked.
“Wuyang carries the blood of my Qing family, so she takes a great interest in politics and military matters.”
Qing Mulan said, “Sir, you defeated the Dangxiang cavalry at Clear Water Valley. Wuyang admires you tremendously and has mentioned it to me several times in her letters.”
“I never imagined even a princess would know of me.”
Jin Feng said, “Luo Lan also wrote to me saying the Ninth Princess is very capable.”
“Wuyang truly is remarkable. It is only a pity she was born a daughter. Otherwise…”
At this point, even the usually bold and outspoken Qing Mulan glanced around to ensure no outsiders were present before continuing. “If Wuyang had been born a prince, His Majesty would certainly have named her heir apparent, and then Great Kang might have had hope of revival.”
“Such high praise?” Jin Feng looked at Qing Mulan doubtfully.
He had only been making polite conversation, yet Qing Mulan had begun lavishing praise on the Ninth Princess.
In the histories of his previous life, why did most dynasties last only three or four hundred years?
Many people blamed superstition, but that was not the truth.
At the founding of a dynasty, more than half the realm’s resources were gathered into the imperial clan’s hands. The clan’s prestige was at its peak, and to soothe a war-weary populace, founding emperors often adopted policies of recuperation.
Yet as time passed, the power of the aristocratic clans gradually grew.
For example, even after a founding emperor’s prime minister retired, his family’s influence remained vast, and they would continue plundering society’s resources to fuel their own growth.
One or two generations might pose no great problem, but each new emperor brought his own circle of ministers. Over time, the number of aristocratic clans multiplied.
The land and resources of the realm, however, were finite. Where did the wealth to sustain these clans come from?
Some came from the emperor sacrificing part of the imperial family’s interests to reward his followers, but most came from squeezing the common people.
Over the centuries, the imperial clan’s resources dwindled while the people’s interests were steadily eroded.
This was the root of Great Kang’s current plight.
Great and small aristocratic clans were entrenched across the land. To support their extravagant lifestyles, they ruthlessly exploited the populaceorged the people, leaving them unable to live in peace and hardening class divisions.
After all, even if a prime minister’s son could not become prime minister himself, he could at least secure a provincial governorship, could he not?
There were only so many official posts to go around. When they were all taken by the sons of aristocratic clans, it became ever harder for scholars of humble birth to rise.
In Jin Feng’s view, the Great Kang of today was beyond saving. To speak of revival was easier said than done.
The only hope would be a thorough purge of every aristocratic clan from top to bottom, followed by a redistribution of society’s resources to the common people.
But that would mean making enemies of every aristocratic clan in the realm, a task of monumental difficulty.
“Sir, I am not exaggerating.”
Qing Mulan said, “Wuyang really is extraordinary. Many of His Majesty’s memorials are reviewed and annotated by her.
This marriage to Tubo was her own suggestion, proposed to keep the Dangxiang in check.”
“Oh?”
Few princesses in history had been permitted to help the emperor review memorials. The first that sprang to Jin Feng’s mind was Wu Zetian.
She too had begun by assisting the emperor with memorials, and step by step had become an empress in her own right.
“His Majesty dislikes state affairs. When he is in a bad mood, he is prone to impulsive and careless decisions on government matters.”
Qing Mulan said in a low voice, “Wuyang once wrote to me that, for the sake of the people of the realm, she was willing never to marry and to remain in the palace helping His Majesty handle governance.
But the situation in Great Kang has grown too grave, and Tubo’s internal strife has largely settled. Wuyang therefore thought to use a diplomatic marriage to persuade Tubo to send troops and hold the Dangxiang in check.”
“The Ninth Princess’s idea is certainly a good one.”
Jin Feng nodded slightly. A spark of curiosity and admiration for the Ninth Princess had been kindled in his heart.
